Decomposition of hydrocarbon oils



Aug. 30, 1938. H. R. SNOW DECOMPOSITION OF HYDROCARBON OILS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 14, 1930 EraZd 1. ($220M Au .30,193s. H SNOW 2,128,502

DECOMPOSITION OF HYDROCARBON OILS Filed Feb. 14, 1950 2-snets-sheet 2 tion into effect; and suiting turbulence, and to remove the vapors Fig, 3 is a detail sectional view through the from a point near the top of the enlarged ,15

vapor outletof the reaction chamber. chamber. Referring to the drawings, the numeral 5 indith u h m ny typ s f xp nd n z s ma o such as is described inthe co-pending application drawings, the specific form of which is described at which rapid vaporization and decomposition charged through the circular opening between the .30

= shame that a substantial amount of cracking erally. --By such an expanding openingfor the 4 drical form and, in the operation of the process, chamber, in which the desired vapor phase crack- :5 not permitted to exceed two to three feet. be mildly heate if desi ed.

a 55 vapors in the reaction chamber near the inlet uid which is not entirely vaporized. The an Patented Aug. 30, 1938 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DECMPOSITION 0F HYD B-OCARBON OILS Harold R. Snow, Hammond, Ind, asslgnor to Standard Oil Company, Whiting, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application February 14, 1930, Serial No. 428,430

'4 Claims. (Cl. 196-61) 'Ihe present invention relates to improvements thereinto and those near the vapor outlet therein processes for the decomposition of hydrogen from. Although it would appear, by reason of oils for the production of lighter hydrocarbon the increasing density of the vapors as they cool, oils, suitable for motor fuel use, for example, in that vapors should be introduced in the upper 5 the gasoline range of boiling points by cracking portion of the reaction chamber and withdrawn efiectedin the vapor phase. It will be fully unfrom the lower portion, I have found that in dcrstood from the following description, illusactual operation, such procedure is conducive to trated by the accompanying drawings, in which: turbulence and mixing of the vapors. It has Figure 1 is a diagrammatic layout of a portion been found that turbulence may be best avoided of' apparatus suitable for carrying the present inby introducing the vapors from the heating coil 10 vention into effect; in the proximity of the bottom of the reaction Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through a rechamber, preferably through a nozzle of graduaction chamber "suitable for carrying the invenally expanding form to avoid let action and recates a pipe still furnace of suitable design for beemployed for the introduction of the vapors, use in vapor phase cracking, for example, on I prefer to employ a nozzle as illustrated in the v of myself and others, Serial No. 427,216, filed Feb. and claimed in the co-pending application of my- 10, 1930, which has issued as Patent 1,918,991. self, Serial No. 428,431, filed Feb. 14, 1930,which In such a furnace the feed to the coiLsuitably has issued at Patent 1,911,476- The vapo iz a composite stock consisting partly of fresh oil decomposing products from the heating coil enter and partly of cycle stock derived in the course or through pipe II and are directed downwardly the operation, may be supplied under suitable through elbow l3 into the interior of the flaring pressure by the pump 8 through the line I to an or conical plate l4. Below the plate l4 and initial heating section 8 ofa pipe still, where it spaced from its marg n is the Slightly dished is brought to an elevated temperature below that baflle plate 1 T m n Pr du t are disbegins. The oil then passes through line at a daring pla I4 and the fli p a e 5, t e marhottersectlon of the furnace, and passes through inal portion of the former, designated 41, b n

the vaporizing andcracking coils l0, wherein it curved upwardly to form a further enlarged let it rapidly vaporized and brought to an effective op and reduce the turbulence due to the cracking temperature at which the desired type e 'je e inlet is p o d o e the 35 of cracking will. be secured. The products then level of the tarry liq e lower Portion of 4 ss t th u h t li H and enter the rethe reaction chamber l2, and by the heme plate action chamber l2, wherein a further conversion 5, d re t Cont c with h a y liquid 15 P 1' t vapors .1 ffected, I eral, it is de-- vented and the vapors are directed smoothly lattakes place during the passage of the oil through ply of the v p r fr m h heatin c il within the pipe still l-l. v the reaction chamber, turbulence of the vapors The reaction, chamber l2 -is pi'efei'flbly a verw t n the att r s a y p v nt dtically disposed, elongated sh "fuitably of cylin The vapors rise slowly through the reaction is maintained largely filled with vapors, only a low ing temperatures are maintained, and the flow of level oftarry liquid l3 being permitted therein, oil through the system is controlled so that the if any. Thus, in a vertical reaction chamber, desired amount of cracking is effected therein. about fortyfeet hlgh,'the level of tarry liquid is The reaction chamber may be insulated, or may In the operation of the reaction chamber, in In order to avoid coke formations of. an obaccordance with the present invention, turbulence :Iectionable character upon and within the vapor inthe vapor space is avoided, to an extent indioutlet, I have found it desirable to introduce cooleated by the temperature gradient between the ing liquid into the vapor outlet, preferably a liqvaporized oil is removed from the reaction chamber with the cracked vapor products by entrainment. A hydrocarbon liquid is prepared and may -.cone 2i.

suitably be the fresh feed for the system, which is thereby preheated and redistilled, and blended with the vaporized cracked products, to be later condensed with the heavier portions of the latter to form a composite feed stock for the heating coil and for the cracking operation.

Although the desired results may be secured, to a marked extent, by the simple injection of a suitable hydrocarbon liquid or feed stock into the vapor outlet, I havev found a construction of vapor outlet such as is shown in Figs. 2 and 3 to be particularly advantageous. In' these figures, l8 represents the depending opening of the vapor outlet, connected to the vapor line is. At, or slightly below the opening of the depending outlet portion Hi there is provided an encircling pipe ring 20, secured to theouter edge of the outlet section it by the sheet metal ring or A similar pipe ring 2 somewhat Smaller in diameter, surrounds the depending outlet portion I8 at a somewhat higher elevation, being secured thereto by the sheet metal cone or ring 23. The inner portion of the ring 22 and the outer portion of the pipe ring 20 are connected by the sheet metal shell or cone 24, the various parts being secured together, most conveniently by welding. There is thus formed Within the metal shell or cone 24 a chamber or enclosure 25 surrounding a large portion of the depending vapor outlet I8. Obviously, it may be proportioned to surround the entire outlet l8, if desired.

The cooling liquid, suitably a distillate hydrocarbon or the feed stock for the system, is fed to the pipe ring 22 through the pipe 26. .The pipe ring 22 is provided with perforations 2'! opening interiorly so as to feed oil into the space or enclosure 25 and also with perforations 28 to spray a jet of oil upon the shell or cone 28. The pipe ring 20 is provided with perforations 29 communicating with the space 25, through which the pipe ring 20 receives oil discharged into the space or enclosure from the pipe ring 22. The oil thus received is discharged through the perforations 30 into the vapors entering the outlet 18. The oil supplied through the line 26 is partially vaporized and exerts a cooling effect both interiorly and exteriorly on the vapor outlet I8, efi'ectively preventing coke formations which would cause stoppage of the operation.

The feed stock for the system, or such other cooling medium that may be employed, is supplied through the line 28 by means of the line 3! which also communicates with the nozzle 32 directed upwardly toward the top of the reaction chamber l2 in order to prevent theformation of coke deposits in the upper portion of this chamber and on the manhead 33. By the supply of vaporizable oil in a similar manner localized vapor cooling may be effected whereby it is found a desirable to avoid coke deposits.

The vapors withdrawn from the reaction chamber through the outlet pipes I 8 and I9 pass to any suitable fractionating device (not shown) to condense therefrom vaporized products heavier than the desired distillate products or motor fuel, whichcondensed products will include the fresh feed if the oil intended for the feed to the system is introduced as hereinbefore suggested, as a cool ing medium to prevent cokedeposits in the vapor outlet from the reaction chamber. Suitable fractionating means for handling the vapors from the reaction chamber are shown in the co-pending application of myself and others, Serial No. 527,216,'filed Feb. 10, 1930, which has issued as Patent 1,918,991.

Tarry liquid may be removed from the enlarged chamber through the outlet line 30, which projects upwardly somewhat into the lower portion of the reaction chamber. In order to avoid coke deposits upon and in this outlet, I provide a helical coil 35, of a diameter somewhat larger than the exterior of the coil outlet 3 This coil enters the reaction chamber somewhat above the level of tarry liquid therein,- and depends to a point adjacent or somewhat below the opening of the outlet 3d, partially surrounding the latter. A

ing the vapor outlet l8 (for example, feed stock for the system), and in such case, the outlet 31 of the coil 35 may communicate with the line 38 by which the oil is conveyed to the line 3i.

The invention may suitably be employed in connection with vapor phase cracking operations, such as those described in the application of myself and others, Serial No. 427,216, filed Feb. 10, 1930, which has issued as Patent 1,918,991, above referred to, wherein a vapor phase cracked motor fuel having an anti-knock value exceeding 1.5 cc. lead equivalent, as compared with Mid-Continent gasoline is produced, and wherein the operation is so conducted as to maintain a coil outlet temperature of 850 to 975 F., a pressure in the reaction chamber of 100 to 250 lbs. and a temperature in the reaction chamber exceeding 850 F. with a total cracking per pass varying from a minimum of about 2.5% gasoline inthe case of the lower pressure operations to a minimum of about 13.2% in the case of the higher pressure operations, from to of the cracking being secured in the reaction chamber. The present invention is, however, adapted to be employed in the operation of any vapor cracking system,

including atmospheric pressure operations and high pressure operations such as those conducted at 700 to 900 lbs. pressure, and in operations wherein vapor phase temperatures are employed reaching as high as 1100 to 1300 F., or higher. or wherever a substantial amount of conversion is desired in a vapor body,

Although I have, described the present invention in connection with a description of specific embodiments thereof, it is not intended that the details set forth shall be regarded as limitations upon the scope of the invention, except in so far as included in the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. In 'a cracking operation wherein an enlarged chamber is maintained at cracking temperature and partly filled with vapors and partly filled with liquid and wherein liquid is continuously withdrawn from said chamber, passing a stream of cooling fluid in indirect heat conductive relation with substantially only that portion of the liquid within the chamber which is in immediate'proximity to the point of withdrawal while avoiding any substantial cooling of the remain-' der of said liquid within said chamber, thereby preventing coke deposits at the point of withdrawal of the liquid, and separately withdrawing the spent cooling fluid from said enlarged chamber.

2. In a. cracking operation wherein an enlarged chamber is maintained at cracking temhydrocarbon thereof, removing vapors from the upper porand partly filled with vapors and partly liquid and wherein liquid is continufrom said chamber, removing the enlarged chamber through a conduit projecting into the body of liquid, passing a fluid cooling medium in indirect heat conductive relation with substantially only that portion of the liquid within the chamber which is in immediate proximity to said conduit and to the opening thereof while avoiding any substantial cooling of the remainder of said liquid within said chamber, thereby preventing coke deposition by the withdrawn liquid, and separately withdrawing the spent cooling fluid from said enlarged chamber. 4

3. The method of effecting decomposition of oils in the .vapor phase to produce lighter products in the gasoline boiling point range therefrom, which comprises heating the oil to vaporize the same and bring perature filled with ously withdrawn said liquid from the vapors v ing the vapors into the lower portion of an enlarged chamber wherein tarry liquids separate from the oil vapors, the heated vapors being above the level of liquid therein and at a low velocity to prevent turbulence in the vapors in the chamber, removing tarry liquids from the lower portion of the chamber to maintain a low level thereof, indirectly cooling only that portion of the said tarry liquid within said chamber which is in immediate proximity to the point of withdrawal hydrocarbon oil to tion of said chamber, and maintaining a cracking temperature in the vapors in said chamber.

4. The method of effecting decomposition of hydrocarbon oils in the vapor phase to produce lighter products in the gasoline boiling point range therefrom, which comprises heating the be treated to vaporize the same and bring the vapors to cracking temperature, introducin g the vapors into the lower por tion of an enlarged chamber wherein tarry liquids separate from the oil vapors, the heated vapors being introduced into said chamber above the level of liquid therein and at a low velocity to prevent turbulence in the vapors in the chamber, removing tarry liquids from the lower portion of the chamber to maintain a low level thereof, cooling only that portion of the liquid body within the chamber which is substantially only in immediate proximity to the point of removal of tarry liquids in the chamber, removing vapors from the upper portion of said chamber, cooling substantially only that portion of the vapors in said chamber which are in immediate proximity to the point of removal thereof by the introduction of a liquid cooling medium into said vapors, causing substantially all of the cooling medium to be carried out of the said chamber by the said vapors being removed therefrom and maintaining a cracking temperature in the vapors in said chamber.

HAROLD R. SNOW. 

